“Sepang will also be a test because of the high temperatures, but we’ve traditionally been able to manage the cooling on our car quite well, so I don’t think that will be too much of a concern.

“Physically, it’s always a tough race, but we’re improving the organisation in every area, and I think we’ve taken some interesting steps this year to ensure the whole team will be better prepared for the heat and humidity.”

Hamilton nailed it in qualifying around the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne last weekend to start from pole position.

“My race pace was pretty much identical to Jenson’s, but he was able to switch the tyres on extremely well, which explains how he was able to pull a gap so quickly at the start and also after the restart.”

Hamilton added: “It’s encouraging and reassuring to understand the reasons for our race pace in Australia, and it puts me in a really positive frame of mind for the race in Malaysia.

“Plus, it always helps to be back in the car only five days after the last grand prix – you move on so quickly.”

He also feels F1 fans will get a clearer picture of overall pace over the next three days, starting with tomorrow’s two free practice sessions.

“Clearly, we’re very encouraged by our pace, both in qualifying and in the race, and I’d like to think we can continue that at Malaysia this weekend,” said Hamilton.

“I think both Mercedes AMG and Red Bull Racing have performance up their sleeves, and they’ll both be very fast in qualifying and the race.

“As far as Vodafone McLaren Mercedes is concerned, it’s nice to be the hunted rather than the hunter, which has been the case in the past few seasons.

“But I know how well our team can respond – the result in Australia will only double everyone’s resolve.

“The development race has already started and we’ll be pushing like crazy to stay at the front.

“I think Malaysia will add detail to the overall picture, but it’s the pace of development – between ourselves, Red Bull, Mercedes, Lotus and Ferrari – that will define the course of the season.”

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F1: Pictures of the McLaren team celebrating Jenson Button's 2012 Australian Grand Prix victory and Lewis Hamilton's third place in Melbourne